


Foolish Dancing

by Blueberryshortcake



Category: Skyjacks Courier's Call
Genre: Dinner, Introspection, Job Interview, Skyjacks, not really - Freeform, patience plays fiddle now, wiltham loves to dance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-21
Updated: 2020-05-21
Packaged: 2021-03-02 19:47:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,285
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24302374
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Blueberryshortcake/pseuds/Blueberryshortcake
Summary: Coriander isn't sure about hiring Wiltham, but has been out voted. The Swiftwells invite Wiltham to dinner to offer them the job.
Relationships: Coriander Swiftwell & Wiltham Nott, Coriander Swiftwell/Patience Rebecca Swiftwell
Kudos: 1





	Foolish Dancing

**Author's Note:**

> What? Me love a character that will probably not show up in the next few seasons? 
> 
> Wiltham's playlist game me so many ideas about their personalty and Coriander's story about not being sure of Wiltham gave me ideas. 
> 
> Unbetaed

“You can understand my reservations though, can’t you?” Coriander carefully arranged the table. Cloth, new dishes from Japan, cheerful flowers. Patience poked her head out of the kitchen. 

“Now, Coriander, I thought you had agreed.” 

“I trust the two of you of course,” Coriander held up his hands. “But when this all started I didn’t expect spies to be on the list of new hires, and Wiltham…”

He sighed. Wiltham despite a cheerful demeanor and easy charm didn’t sit quite right. There were other choices. He had thought to promote Chantelle or Marius. They had certainly earned it, but after losing Daisy Mae to the Swiftwell Courier’s first spy mission it was understandable that they would decline. 

His heart sank thinking about her again. Maybe they were rushing things--but no. He had gone over this. Over and over again with the others. This was necessary and needed. 

“And Wiltham?” Patience prompted. 

“They couldn’t even provide a resume.” Coriander grumbled. 

“Some might see that as a plus considering what we’re hiring them for, dear. I trust what we’ve been told.” Patience said gently. She came out of the kitchen and to his side. There was knowing tenderness on her face. Coriander never needed reminding why he loved her so, but was reminded all the same in her kind expression. 

“You are a strong hearted man Coriander Swiftwell. Kind and true. Straightforward and honest. You hire people like yourself. And they are sincere and honest people. And they are not spies, my love.”

“And what might that imply about our soon to be Captain Nott?”

Patience gave him a gentle thwack on the arm. “Coriander!” She scolded. 

“I apologize! I apologize!” Coriander held up his hands. “You’re right. Perhaps I’m not the one who should be picking spies.” 

Daisy Mae’s face appeared in his mind, a death shroud. No, he should not be the one picking. 

“Perhaps dinner will soothe your nerves on them.” Patience Rebecca moved back towards the kitchen. Wiltham was due to ring the bell soon and Coriander would hand them their official contract of employment for the Courier service. Coriander didn’t point out that, as a spy Wiltham would probably be good at being charming and agreeable. That was his own bitterness though. Bitterness for what Wiltham represented and worry too. They were only twenty-seven. They claimed to have some sort of experience with skyships although they had never captained one.

The mail business had always been a dangerous one. They had lost people to storms, and accidents, and attackers, but secrets and spies. It wasn’t like the straightforward fights out in the open. The people working under Wiltham would be in constant danger for the information they sought and the information they knew. Was it wise to have someone untested lead them? 

An upbeat knock at the door scattered his thoughts.

Coriander stood and opened the door. Wiltham stood in front of him with a fresh smiling face. They tipped their hat. 

“Hello there, Wiltham,” Coriander fell into a polite drawl. He might not be a spy, but he knew how to hide tumultuous surface thoughts at least. 

“Mr. Swiftwell, thank you so much for having me.” Wiltham offered a bottle of wine for Coriander to take along with an easy smile. 

“Coriander, please. Well don’t stand out on the steps. Come in!” Coriander moved to one side and let the young person enter.

“Ah, right on time,” Patience came out of the kitchen again. She shook Wiltham’s hand. “Dinner is about ready if you’d like to take a seat.”

“Can I help with anything?” Wiltham offered.

“No, no, it’s all done, please relax I’ll only be a moment.” Patience disappeared back in the kitchen and Wiltham and Coriander took their seats at the table. 

“How has the place been treating you?” Coriander asked.

“It’s a beautiful place here.” Wiltham said. “Autumn always has a certain feeling.”

“Change.” Coriander said without thinking. 

Wiltham looked at him with a knowing eye. They nodded. “Perhaps that’s it. Potential, and so you have here a town of potential Coriander.”

Coriander chuckled despite himself. “You aren’t wrong. There’s a great amount of potential in this place.”

“And in the people?” Wiltham nudged. 

Before he could respond, Patience came in with the pot of stew. The smell of cooked squash, stewed beef, and fresh bread intensified bringing even more warmth into the small home. 

“You have outdone yourself, my love,” Coriander beamed. 

“The bread will be the perfect accompaniment, Coriander made it.” Patience told Wiltham. 

“It all looks magnificent,” Wiltham complimented. 

They passed the dinner with the usual small talk and anecdotes. The entire time the envelope with the contract sat on the side table. Coriander kept putting it off. Patience, bless her heart, didn’t say a word, or even give him a nudge or a kick under the table that he probably deserved. 

And Wiltham, well they had to know of course why it was they were having dinner with Corriander Swiftwell tonight. If they didn’t they wouldn’t be much of a spy, but they didn’t nudge or hint either. Just continued to be delightful company. 

“You play fiddle?” Wiltham straightened looking as giddy as a child promised candy. 

“If you’re amiable I could play a bit. I’m awful rusty. There’s been so much work to be done lately, but if you don’t mine a few sour notes…” Patience was already up and heading to where she kept her instrument. Coriander until that moment hadn’t realized it had been so long since he heard Patience saw her fiddle. There really has been so much work to do. Running the Yellow and Red, finishing off the Black… designing the Grey. 

Patience tapped her foot and started playing a jaunty jig. Immediately Wiltham was tapping their food, and then clapping along. They might have burst into song, but it seemed they didn’t know the words of this one. 

Corriander did though, and as the music of Patience Rebecca and the eagerness of Wiltham was infectious he started belting out the lyrics. 

“Singing way hey ho! Singing way hey ho!” 

Wiltham got up unable to be still and began to dance. They grabbed Corriander’s arm and had him dancing a jig quickly picking up on the lyrics and singing as well. By the end Patience could barely keep playing from all her laughing, and Coriander and Wiltham were woefully out of step. 

They all collapsed to the sofa and easy chair. It had certainly got the blood flowing. 

Wiltham really was a strange one. The picture of a bright and happy young person, but so willing to wander down a potentially dark path. 

“You certainly can cut a rug,” Coriander wiped his forehead. 

“I like to take all the opportunities I can to dance, even when it’s foolish,” Wiltham said. It resonated in Coriander. Images of Daisy Mae, and his other Couriers. Of dancing and singing and dinners after the hard days. The turn from mourning. There were always smiles again. Always opportunities for smiles. Perhaps that was why Wiltham had come to them. Why they were the right person. They would do the dangerous work and know the terrible things, but they would also take every opportunity they had to laugh and dance. They would live while there was time for living. Something so many people forgot to do, or couldn’t afford to. 

“Now, I suppose you’re wondering why you’re here--or maybe not, but you might act surprised now, hm?” Coriander got up and retrieved the envelope. 

He still wasn’t sure of Wiltham. That they were the right person. They still weren’t his choice… but there was… well. There was potential. For now, that was enough. 


End file.
